Natalie Woempner, M. Ed., CCC-SLP
CEO
Natalie Slade Woempner, M.Ed., CCC-SLP graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1992 and has spent the majority of her career as a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, licensed to practice in NC with her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech and Hearing Association. Natalie has worked at Cheshire Center for over 20 years taking on various roles including clinical documentation reviewer, clinical supervisor of graduate interns and clinical fellows, recruitment, Clinical Director and now CEO. Natalie has received the honor of being recognized by the NC Association of Supervisors in Speech Pathology and Audiology as supervisor of the year and has spent some time teaching undergraduates in the study of Speech-Language Pathology at UNCG. Natalie’s favorite role thus far is being a supervisor, teaching, leading and empowering other clinicians in our field to make a difference in the lives of children with communication needs. “It is so rewarding when a child makes tremendous gains in speech therapy. The parent is so happy when their child starts communicating; the therapist is so proud to have facilitated that “aha” moment and the joy on a child’s face when they have successfully communicated or expressed themselves for the first time. This is the reason I love my career and working at Cheshire Center has allowed me to follow my passion!”
Rebecca Eaton, M. S., CCC-SLP
Clinical Director
Rebecca Eaton, M. S., CCC-SLP obtained a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2006 and a master’s Degree in Communication Disorders in 2008 both from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Following graduation Rebecca began her career with the Cheshire Center where she has served children in a variety of settings and ages ranging from birth to school aged with multiple needs. Her special interests include clinical supervision, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) including high and low tech devices, and autism spectrum disorder. In addition, Rebecca has supervised Clinical Fellows, mentored other SLPs, and is currently the Clinical Director. “I have enjoyed all of my roles at Cheshire Center as each of them have allowed me to grow professionally as a clinician. While learning from experiences, peers, and other professionals, I am enabled to continue to impact the children and families we serve and stay true to the reason I chose this rewarding career path!”
Joya Robertson, M. A., CCC-SLP
Clinical Supervisor
Joya Robertson, M. A., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Child Development in 2004 from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology in 2009 from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She first began working as a student intern at Cheshire Center in 2009. Joya is licensed to practice in NC with her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech and Hearing Association and has provided speech-language services in homes, Head Start centers, daycares and elementary schools. Joya’s clinical specialities are in the areas of articulation, phonological disorders and language disorders in the birth through 5 population. Joya’s career interest is in the area of clinical supervision. “I take pride and love teaching and training fellow Speech-Language Pathologists and am fortunate to have a position at Cheshire Center that allows me to grow as a clinician while performing work that I am passionate about.” Joya is an active member in the North Carolina Speech, Language and Hearing Association (NCSHLA) and the North Carolina Association of Supervisors in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (NCASSPA).
Dr. Wayne Foster, PhD, CCC-SLP/A
Audiologist
Dr. Foster retired from the public schools of North Carolina where he served in a variety of capacities over the years: clinician, lead therapist, special education director, RtI director and grant/project director. He has been very active in the North Carolina Speech, Language and Hearing Association (NCSHLA) and the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). He is an ASHA Fellow and received Honors of the Association from NCSHLA. He currently serves on the ASHA Board of Ethics. His research interests are in early childhood language and literacy development. At the Cheshire Center he is the audiologist and research coordinator.
Cynthia “Cindy” Abbott, M. A., CCC-SLP
Caswell County Mentor
Cynthia “Cindy” Abbott, M.A., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Northern Michigan University. She has over 20 years of experience working with infants to adults who have communication and feeding issues. Cindy currently works in Caswell County and serves a middle and an elementary school as well as preschoolers. Her first “love” in the field was working with children with hearing impairments and their families. Cindy serves as the Caswell county mentor and enjoys the opportunity that the Cheshire Center offers to work with children who have communication difficulties of varied ages.
Janice Swilley, M. S., CCC-SLP
Guilford/High Point County Mentor
Janice Swilley, M.S., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor’s degree in 1996 and her Master’s degree in 1998 in Communication Sciences and Disorders from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is nationally certified through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and licensed through the NC Board of Examiners. Janice spent the first 9 years of her career working for school districts in Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina. While a school based SLP, she served students with a variety of disabilities ranging in age from 3-21. She started working for the Cheshire Center in March 2007 where she provides services in homes, daycare settings and Head Start Centers in High Point. Janice provides clinical and procedural support to therapists in Guilford County, especially High Point. Janice is particularly interested in supervision serving as a clinical supervisor for graduate students and clinical fellows, updating Cheshire’s supervision manual and providing support for new clinical supervisors. Areas of clinical interest include language development, Autism Spectrum Disorder and motor planning disorders.
Angela Denny, M. A., CCC-SLP
Rockingham County Mentor
Angela C. Denny, M.A., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor’s degree in 2000 and Master’s degree in 2003 in Speech Language Pathology from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist that has been employed with Cheshire Center for over 13 years. She has experience working with children and adults, focusing primarily on children ages birth-5 with a wide range of disabilities including autism, apraxia, cerebral palsy, and various genetic disorders along with articulation, language and fluency deficits. Angela provides supervision for clinical fellows and is currently the Rockingham County mentor.
Susan Insco, M. S., CCC-SLP
Alamance County Mentor
Susan Insco, M.S., CCC-SLP, is licensed through the NC Board of Examiners and nationally certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in 2004 and Master’s degree in 2006 in Communication Disorders from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Susan has been an employee of Cheshire Center for more than 10 years and spends her days working in a variety of settings including educational facilities and community and home-based sites in Orange and Alamance counties. She has served as clinical supervisor for graduate interns, SLP assistants, and clinical fellows. Susan is the go-to clinician for therapists in Alamance county providing procedural and clinical support. Susan enjoys working with toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary aged children with a variety of communication needs. Special interests include language development, augmentative communication and providing clinical supervision.
Andrea Bowen, M. S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist & SLP-Assistant Program Coordinator
Andrea Bowen, M.S., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor’s in Communication Science in 1990 from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA and her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology in 1992 from Nova University in Davie, FL. Prior to joining Cheshire Center in 2013, Andrea worked in a variety of pediatric settings across FL, NY, TX and CA. Andrea is licensed to practice in NC with her Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech and Hearing Association. Andrea specializes in the areas of receptive/expressive language disorders, phonology and fluency in the preschool population. She provides services to children in Greensboro. Andrea currently coordinates the Cheshire Center Speech Language Pathology-Assistant program mentoring both Licensed Speech Language Pathology-Assistants and student SLP-A candidates, as well as their supervisors. Andrea has special interests in professional collaboration, clinical supervision and peer mentoring.
Emily Sharpe, M. A., CCC-SLP
Stuttering Specialist
Emily Sharpe, M.A., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor’s degree in 2006 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master’s degree in 2008 from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has specialized in working with children and adults who stutter for ten years. In 2013, she was chosen to attend the Stuttering Foundation’s workshop Using Cognitive Approaches with People who Stutter. For six years, she facilitated the NC Triad chapter of the National Stuttering Association. Emily led a group of Guilford County School speech-language pathologists who partnered with the National Stuttering Association for four years to hold local Family Fun Day workshops for children who stutter and their families. She also enjoys sharing her expertise with other speech-language pathologists by presenting at both the local and state levels. “I am passionate about supporting people who stutter and their families. My approach is to not only work on strategies to manage stuttering, but to also look at the emotions that can surround stuttering. Our goal is to determine what being an effective communicator means to each person who stutters and how we can work together towards that goal.”
Elizabeth Hepler, M. A., CCC-SLP
Specialist in the area of Autism
Elizabeth Hepler, M.A., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor’s degree in 2003 and her Master’s degree in 2005 in Communication Disorders from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. She is nationally certified through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and licensed through the NC Board of Examiners. Elizabeth started working for the Cheshire Center in 2005 where she provides services in homes, the Cheshire office, daycare settings, and Head Start Centers in Greensboro. Elizabeth provides supervision for clinical fellows and serves as a Guilford County mentor in Greensboro. Special areas of interest and expertise include Autism, ADHD, sensory processing, and developmental delays. Elizabeth has attended specialized trainings for each of these areas, including TEACCH. As the parent of a child with autism, Elizabeth is familiar and empathetic with the challenges many families face. “It can be overwhelming to parent a child with any type of delay. Having experienced this working with these children as a SLP and as a mother, I truly understand the challenges. I love working with families towards whatever their goals are for their kids.”
Sade’ Wicker, M. A., CCC-SLP
Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist
Sade’ Wicker, M. A., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor’s degrees from North Carolina State University in Spanish Language and Literature and English in 2009 and a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2015 from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Sade’ has been a part of the Cheshire team throughout her career as a SLP and has served in Alamance, Guilford, and Rockingham County. She is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist through the North Carolina Board of Examiners and nationally certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Sade’ has served as a SLP mentor and a Clinical Fellow supervisor and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Supervisors in Speech- Language Pathology and Audiology. Her clinical interests include bilingualism, language development, and supervision. “It gives me great joy to provide quality care for all the families I serve! My passion for languages and culture paired with my innate sense of wonder makes being a bilingual therapist a dream! There can be many myths and misconceptions surrounding bilingualism and language disorders, and facilitating greater understanding for my clients, families and other professionals has been a valuable and rewarding task!”
Alexa McDonough, M. S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist & Clinical Auditor
Alexa McDonough, M.S., CCC-SLP, completed her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology at Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 2013. She then went on to obtain her Master’s of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology in December of 2014 from Clarion University of Pennsylvania as well. She is licensed through the NC Board of Examiners and nationally certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CCC). She began her career as a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist with the Cheshire Center in January 2015 after completing her Clinical Fellowship Year through the company. She has experience working as a multidisciplinary team member working alongside other service providers, the CDSA and IEP teams to provide speech-language therapy for the pediatric population in various settings (home, daycare, preschool, and school settings). Alexa has been an avid member of the Cheshire Center’s Audit Team since January 2018, in which she reviews SLPs evaluations, plans of care, and therapy notes, then provides constructive feedback. She is passionate about providing effective, evidenced based services for children, and being a peer mentor for other SLPs in the field. “I love being an SLP! There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a child communicate through signs, words, or even pictures, with their family members, educators, or friends! Collaboration is a huge part of my job and a necessary component for aiding a child in being a successful, functional communicator in their everyday environments.”
Laura Michael, M. S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist & Bilingual Supervisor
Laura Michael, M.S., CCC-SLP, earned Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Modern Foreign Languages from Presbyterian College in 2006 and a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Appalachian State University in 2011. She began her career with Cheshire Center in 2011 and has since enjoyed facilitating the speech, language, and communication journeys of children ranging in age from toddler to elementary. Laura’s particular areas of interest include articulation/phonology, early language, bilingualism/cultural competence, and supervision. She enjoys the challenges, diversity, and gratification that life as a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist holds. “I feel lucky to have landed on a career that melds my many interests into one role and allows me to learn and grow alongside my clients. It is a privilege and a joy to be entrusted with the task of opening up a new world of communication to children and their families and to join in celebration of successes big and small along the way.”
Beth Griffin, M. S., CCC-SLP
Clinical Supervisor
Beth Griffin, M.S., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and her Master’s Degree from Winthrop University. She is nationally certified through the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and licensed through the NC Board of Examiners. Beth has worked in numerous pediatric settings, including pediatric hospitals, NICUs, public schools, therapeutic preschools, state mental health facilities and private practices. She has served on the Board of Directors and on several committees with the NC Speech and Hearing Association. Beth has received the honor of being recognized by the NC Association of Supervisors in Speech Pathology and Audiology as supervisor of the year. She was instrumental in helping to establish NC Guidelines for Speech Therapy Services through the NC Medicaid Independent Practitioner Program and served that agency as a clinical auditor. Beth’s specific areas of interest include serving children on the Autism Spectrum, non-verbal children and serving preschoolers with language impairments. While at Cheshire, Beth has held numerous positions, including therapist, clinical documentation reviewer, clinical supervisor of clinical fellows, clinical recruiter and mentor. She has a passion for clinical supervision of clinical fellows and strives to help prepare the next generation of therapists for long, successful careers in the field. “The Cheshire Center has given me the opportunity to practice my love for the field of speech pathology in many different ways. Although I am not actively involved in serving children and families, my role as a clinical supervisor allows me to share my passion and expertise with new clinicians. I love seeing new clinicians grow and gain confidence. They also teach me so much!!”
Shannon Tillman, M. A., CCC-SLP
Specializes in AAC
Shannon Tillman, M.A., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has over 20 years of experience in the educational and medical settings. Shannon is nationally certified through the American Speech Language Hearing Association and she is licensed through the North Carolina Board of Examiners. She works primarily in Caswell County serving children in home and school settings, and has a variety of clinical interests including alternative/augmentative communication, as well as articulation and language delays. Shannon enjoys the possibilities offered by Cheshire Center to work with a variety of clients and their families. “I feel fortunate to work for a company that not only allows me the opportunity to provide speech services to children and families, but also to love, to guide and to encourage them.”
Lindsay Gustin, M. A., CCC-SLP
Clinical Auditor
Lindsay Gustin, M.A., CCC-SLP obtained her Bachelor’s degree in 2006 and Master’s degree in 2008 from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist that began her career with the Cheshire Center over 11 years ago. She enjoys her time working in Randolph County serving children in preschools, Head Starts, homes, and daycares. Her focus is children ages birth to five, with a primary focus on preschool age children in a collaborative preschool environment. Lindsay also serves as a clinical auditor for the Cheshire Center, where she supports fellow clinicians in their documentation to ensure that it meets all needed standards. “I love my job for many reasons, but the absolute best thing is getting to be a part of a child establishing or increasing their communication skills. Communication is such a fundamental component of life, and to be a part of helping to develop those skills in someone is so rewarding.”
